The Search for Paradise
by WritingwithGusto
Summary: A boy finds himself in a world that he never knew existed. And in a journey to find his way home, he discovers his own kind of paradise. Rated T (as usual) just to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A day like no other

* * *

 **Hello there, everyone. Gusto here, and this is one of my two self insertion fanfics. This is the Anthro one. It will be a bit odd, but I hope that people will like it. If not, then I guess my ideas are not for everybody. Anywho, enjoy.**

* * *

RINGRING!

Like on routine, my alarm clock sounded off, showing it to be around 5:00. I normally don't set my alarm clock on weekends, but I must have forgot. Looking at my calendar, it told me it was Saturday, so I definitely must've. Oh well, no use in whining about it.

Deciding to stay awake and play some Tekken 5 (my PS2 was hooked up in my room), my plan was to finally defeat Jinpachi with Jin. I had defeated him with Kazuya, Heihachi, Hwoarang, Bruce, Bryan, Baek, and Feng, but I wanted to beat it with Jin. I've been trying since I bought the game, but I was never able to.

Today was the day.

Narrowly sidestepping the fireball, I went in and pulled off a Kazama Style 5 Hit Combo, earning me a KO. I finally did it!

Now that I got to do what I wanted to do, I realized I had no plans. There was nothing to do right now, except maybe play some Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. Which is what I did.

I decided to re-challenge the Lingering Will because it has been a long time since I fought that guy. That fight certainly made for a time passer. Since after the fight I still had about an hour before anyone else woke up, I decided to go to my training grounds.

My training grounds were basically where I go to practice my fighting techniques. I basically use a rough version of Tae Kwon Do, mixed with Boxing, a small bit of Muay Thai, as well as some Wrestling techniques. Interestingly, I only have formal training in Wrestling. I taught myself the rest of the techniques through seeing them done on videos.

I mainly took up martial arts for self defense purposes, but practicing constantly helps me pass the time.

Getting back to the point, my next hour was full of training in my favorite techniques (spinning hook kick, axe kick, and my punch combinations specifically). As soon as I noticed my parents were awake, I decided to head inside and take a shower.

* * *

The rest of my day after that went as normal as any other day. Up until the incident at the park.

I would sometimes go to the park in my neighborhood just to walk around or have fun, but ever since me and my girlfriend broke up, I didn't really want to go as much. It was kind of our main spot to get together and hang out...

"Hey, jackass!" I heard someone call. I looked behind me and saw this jerk who lives near here. "Just figured you'd wanna know. I'm gonna ask out your ex today."

My retort was, "And I should care because?"

"Because," he said, obviously annoyed, "I'm asking out your old girlfriend."

"And she'd never say yes."

"And why not," he inquired further, looking like he wanted to punch me in the face. It was my last response that seemed to send him over the edge:

"Because she definitely wouldn't be into a moron with an inferiority complex."

The moment he heard that, he attempted to throw a punch, which I blocked, and then hit him with my right elbow. And with that, a fight had started.

My opponent kept attempting to hit me with a hook, to which I continually avoided and countered with a quick kick or a strong punch. Eventually he stopped trying, and just told me to 'go screw myself' before leaving. And with that, I went on my merry way.

I went out to the forest right next to the park, knowing that it was a shortcut to my house. And on the way back, I found a crystal just sitting on the ground. It was the most beautiful shade of light blue I've ever seen, and it appeared to be glowing just slightly.

RING!

Checking my phone right at that moment, I saw a text from my ex. She said she wanted to get back together, so I texted her back EXACTLY what I was thinking:

'Screw you, you arrogant bitch!'

Honestly, I had no idea where that came from, but it came from somewhere. As I walked home, another thought I decided to say out loud for whatever reason:

"I wish I could live in a place with nice people."

And just like that, the crystal's glow began to brighten, and I became a little woozy. It didn't take long before I was out cold.

And when I woke up, I found a pair of eyes, that were the same beautiful blue as the crystal, staring into my eyes.

* * *

 **Y'know, they say the first chapter is always the hardest (I actually don't know if people actually say something like that, but I say that), and that was the case for this. I wanted to make the main character have similarities to me (fighting style specifically. What I described was actually my real life fighting style, and I actually did learn many of the techniques through mimicry), but just different enough to where it isn't me (things like the jerky guy, my girlfriend(I had one, but the breakup was mutual), and the forest that leads to my house).**

 **Also, this is just a warning, but this story will be kind of confusing, so I am going to try to make it exciting. So read and review if you want to, and tune in next time if you want to see where this is going.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The girl with the blue eyes

* * *

The moment I saw the beautiful light blue eyes, my vision was blurry, so I tried rubbing my eyes. Then the moment that I re-opened them, the owner of the eyes seemed to have vanished. Scanning my surroundings, I realized I was on a beach. Wiping the sand off of my back, I decided to look all around me.

And then I turned around to find the weirdest sight I've ever seen.

Standing in front of me was what looked to be an anthropomorphic Apatosaurus. I was about 5'8, and she looked to be 6'4 (though to be fair, about a foot and a half of it looked to be her neck, so if that wasn't there, she'd probably be about 5'2). She was bipedal (having hands where her forepaws would be), and was dressed in an odd outfit. It consisted of a forest green breastplate with vines holding it on her, two bracelets made of the same forest green material, and a burgundy skirt held up by a similar vine as on the breastplate.

"Forgive me if I woke you," she then spoke up, her voice calm, but a bit shy. I then just said "Eh, it's fine. I was getting up anyway."

"I'm just curious. What kind of Dinosaur are you?" Obviously she'd never met a human, so I figured I should explain.

"I'm not any kind of Dinosaur. I am a human." And then the Apatosaurus's eyes lit up. I didn't understand why, until she asked, "You're a real human? Those haven't been seen in years."

"You mean there have been humans here before?"

"Yes," she told me, "But they only appear once every decade or two. I never thought I'd actually see one." Curious, I asked, "How do you know this?"

"Follow me. I will let the adults explain."

And with that, she started to run, and I was forced to go after her. Once I caught up with her, I (for whatever reason) decided to try to make small talk, so I asked "So what's your name?"

"It's Ali," she told me, as we made it to the most amazing place I'd ever seen. It looked to be a valley, but it was filled with dinosaurs just like her. Not all of them were Sauropods surprisingly, but they were all Anthros just like her. Looking at the environment of the area, I saw only leaf eaters,

Naturally, as my curiosity got the better of me, I was inclined to ask. "What is this place?" And her response was simply, "This is the Great Valley."

* * *

In only a few short minutes of Ali telling everyone that she had met a human, the whole valley wanted to know if it was true. So they called a meeting, and I was forced to go. When I came to their meeting ground, I was met with a Triceratops man. He looked to be 7'0 tall, had grey skin, was very muscular, and was dressed in what was basically a pair of pants held up with another vine (I have gotten the understanding that vines were used for belts or bindings). He spoke to me, with an incredibly gruff voice, "What's your name, boy?"

"My name is Yuri Arshavin, Sir," I told him, and then he looked at me a little confused. And then he said "Oh right, the legends say you humans are have two names."

"I go by Yuri. May I ask who you are?"

"You can just call me Mr. Threehorn," he said, crossing his arms and looking down at me. I felt as though I was staring into the face of a titan, and it was frightening. But I stood my ground, and crossed my arms as well. "Are you challenging me," he asked.

"No sir. I'd have to be an idiot to challenge someone who is a giant compared to me," I said tonelessly. This seemed to lighten his tone, as he then told me, "A wise choice. You seem to have more common sense than the last human to come to this valley."

"And what did he do?"

"Gave our secrets to the Sharpteeth, just because he thought he was better than us." I could tell there was a story there, but right now, I was focused on what I just heard. A loud roaring noise in the distance.

And my first assumption was that was the sharpteeth.

* * *

 **And this is chapter two of this story. Of course, Yuri Arshavin is not my real name. I just thought it sounded cool. Anywho, now it is anthro, and I have met Topps. Tune in next time if you want to see what happens.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Meeting and Saving the Gang

* * *

So the moment that roar was heard, Topps told the children to stay while the adults went to see what happened. And since I would be considered a child as well (because I'm 15 years old), I was left with the rest of the children. This gave me time to meet them all.

First, Ali decided to introduce me to her friends. First she introduced me to her cousin Littlefoot. He looked similar to her (and was her exact height), except that he was a guy, was a shade of brown, and had reddish brown eyes. He was also dressed in a pair of pants with a vine belt and bracers, but his pants weren't as tattered as Mr. Threehorn's were. He said "Nice to meet you," in a very friendly manner, which I liked.

She then introduced me to Cera, who was a triceratops who stood about 5'11, with yellow skin, and green eyes. She was dressed in pretty much the same thing as Ali, but a with bracers around her ankles as well as her wrists. She said, "So, you're a human. You don't look that tough," to which I retorted with "Meet me in the ring and I may just surprise you."

Then came Ducky and her adopted brother Spike. Ducky was a green Saurolophus with blue eyes, standing at about 5'6, and dressed in about the same outfit as the other girls, but with what looked like short shorts under her, and vines where the bracelets would be. Spike was a greenish Stegosaurus with purple eyes, who stood at 5'6 as well, and was dressed basically the same as Littlefoot, but with vines where the bracelets would be. Ducky said, "Hello", and Spike simply waved.

And the last one she introduced me to was Petrie, who was a brown Pteranodon with black eyes, standing about 5'7. His wings were connected to his arms, and went down to his hips. He was dressed in the same thing as the other guys, but his pants hung a little lower on his body (likely so that he could use his wings to fly).

After introductions, the group was a bit hesitant to tell me about them, so I proposed an idea: "How about I tell you things about me, and in exchange, you tell me the same info about you." They all agreed to this idea, but were still a bit hesitant.

"I'll start," I told them "I am 15 years old." When they heard this, they all responded that they were 14 years old.

"I am a human, as you know." To this they told me what they call their species (Longneck for Littlefoot and Ali, Threehorn for Cera, Swimmer for Ducky, Spiketail for Spike, and Flyer for Petrie).

"I taught myself martial arts." To this, they didn't know what martial arts were. When I explained it to them, they said they told us they all didn't know fighting well.

"I love to be outside." To this, they all agreed, mainly because they live outside.

But before we could continue to do this, the roaring sound from earlier came closer. As it should turn out, a green teenage T-Rex found their way to our location. He had a ruthless look on his face, and was about to attack us, so I stepped into action.

I kicked him straight in his gut, and used that to keep him down for a moment. Then, finding the nearest tree, I took off a branch from it, and began to attack, using it as a staff. The T-Rex continued to attempt to attack the group, but before he could, I smacked him in the back of the head.

This seemed to slow him down, and this allowed the adults to get here in time. The T-Rex was still determined to take one of them down, so I kept trying to keep him back. But then he tried to attack Ali, and was stopped by me. Unfortunately for him, he just put me into my (as I call it) Berserker's Mindset.

Putting as much power as I possibly could into my next strike, the side of my staff hit him square in his temple. Afterword, I hit him with powerful blows to his head (focusing on the weaker parts of it) and body (focusing on the Solar Plexus among other weak spots). Seeing he had no chance, the T-Rex retreated.

Exiting my Berserker's Mindset, and noticing that everyone was staring at me quite shocked, I realized I had some explaining to do. But there was one hing I did first and foremost. Turning to the group, I told them, "And that is how you stave of a Sharptooth with a tree branch."

* * *

 **Well, in any case, this story is certainly more lighthearted than 'Troy' is going to be. See that's what I'm doing with these is I'm writing them both, and they are being of different tones. But I am liking writing both different stories, so I am happy.**

 **Also the 'Berserker's Mindset' is another connection to real world me (when I get serious during like a sparring match, it basically spells loss for my opponent), and there is another connection that I won't say, but should be easy to figure out.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Start of Something Good

 **Hey, so here is my fourth chapter. It is going to have a bit of stuff happen, and explain the 'Berserker's Mindset' a little. Also, 'Hunter', I just figured I should explain this. A modern 15 year old fighting prodigy's definition of 'Berserk' is different from a midieval warrior's definition of 'Berserk'. 'kay? It is all a matter of interpretation.**

* * *

"Explain what that was back there!"

This was a demand made by Mr. Threehorn. Though when he said it, he wasn't saying it as stern as he was talking before. His tone was kind of half serious, half shocked. So I simply told him, "That was my Berserker's Mindset."

"Berserker's Mindset," asked the voice of an elderly woman. A moment later, a grey Longneck (I figure if I'm in their world, I might as well call them what they perfer), standing 7'10 (plus the neck), came up to me, as well a male who stood about her same height. The male then asked, "What do you mean, 'Berserker's Mindset'?"

And figuring it would be easy to explain, I explained, "When I get angry, my mentality changes, and makes me think 'destroy my opponent'. It's very hard to set off, because it takes a certain type of anger, but when it does get set off, whoever made me mad is gonna regret it."

"So that's what that was," Mr. Threehorn said, his voice showing that he was understanding it, but not particularly liking it. "But is it safe?" asked a voice from the crowd. This started murmuring from the crowd, and it was all pointed toward me.

So I simply told them the truth: "If no one harms someone close to me, or does something incredibly dishonourable, you'll all be fine. Those are the main things that set me off."

Understanding this, the Dinosaurs were talking to me afterword, and explained to me that humans appear here through things called 'Portal Crystal' (but once they're here, they're stuck here. This explains why the crystal wasn't in my hand when I woke up.), but they usually die to sharpteeth. After all that was done, they told me that they are going to let me stay as long as I want to, but I cannot hunt any residents of the valley. Luckily, that was the easiest thing for me to do, as I never wanted to hunt a dinosaur anyway. Even so, I was going to fish in the ocean whenver I got the chance (I gotta eat meat after all).

* * *

Later on, Ali introduced me to her other friends. There was a blusih Sharptooth, who was about 12, and stood at about 5'6, and was named Chomper. He explained that he was born in the Valley, and that they let him stay because he could survive on bugs. Then came Ruby, who was a pinkish Fast Runner (as she called her species), who stood at 5'9, and was 14. She explained that she was there to watch Chomper, and could eat both meat and leaves.

After introductions were out of the way, I decided to see if I could start a game with them. Picking up a pinecone off the ground, I kicked it to Cera, who then kicked it to Spike. This continued, and eventually became like a game of soccer. We played for about half an hour, and it was fun. Up until Cera brought back up the topic from before.

Before we started another round, Cera said "Don't go 'Berserk' if we win, Yuri," she chuckled, and then she noticed the look on my face and shut her mouth. "Don't even joke about that," I told her "You saw what I did to that Sharptooth. That's a kind of power I'd never use if I couldn't control it." After that, I decided to stay out of the next round and just watch.

After the round was over, the team I was playing on (before I sat out this round) had won. Noticing immediately after that the sun was going down, the group was parting ways for the night. Before I left, Cera came over and said, "Sorry about joking about the way you think."

"It's fine," I told her, and then she continued. "Truth be told Yuri, that was really amazing back there. I've heard most human adults lose against Sharpteeth, but to think a human teenager beat one."

"Yeah, about that," I decided to ask. "Does anyone know why humans end up here?"

"No. They just know that they're incredibly rare."

Knowing this, I knew there was likely no way I could get back. "Anyway," Cera continued " I remember your remark about maybe having a sparring match earlier, and I really would like to do so. Maybe tomorrow?"

A request that I accepted.

As soon as that was out of the way, Littlefoot said, "Hey Yuri. My grandparents said you could stay with us tonight if you want." I most certainly agreed (considering I don't know a thing about this Valley), and followed Littlefoot. Seeing that the elderly Longnecks from before were Littlefoot's grandparents, I tried to be as respectful as possible.

Soon as the moon was up in the sky, the entire Longneck family fell asleep. As I was starting to fall asleep, Ali came up and woke me up.

"I want to talk to you about earlier," she said, leading me away from the rest of them. Once we were alone, she said what was on her mind.

"That was really amazing what you did against that Sharptooth," she told me. "But can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Earlier you said you got set off by someone close to you getting hurt..."

Oh... I see what this was about. "Or from someone doing something dishonorable," I corrected. "And where I'm from, It's extremely dishonorable to try to hit a woman."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And frankly, I wouldn't want to see you get hurt." This put a smile on her face (and a blush on her cheeks), and then she pecked me on my cheek, and said "That's really sweet of you," before heading back to where the others were. If I had to describe today in three words, it would be 'Unexpected, but Awesome'.

* * *

 **Yes? You like? I thinks it was good chapter myself. But then again, I'm the writer of it, so I think all of my work is good. Yuri is coming along pretty good, and things are going good for him in the Great Valley so far. Let's see if that lasts (it likely will for a while).**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Start of my Teaching Career

* * *

As soon as I woke up the next morning, I realized something: I had left my bag on the beach! Heading down that way ASAP, I found my duffle bag, which I had with me when I went to the park. In all honesty, I had brought the bag just because I was planning on going over to the gym near my house after I went home and relaxed a little. It was luckily still there, and was dry, because no waves seemed to hit it.

My bag was filled with plenty of supplies: Some combs, a few pairs of scissors, my hunting knife, my MMA shorts, gloves, and footwraps, among other things that I would have to get to later.

I knew that so many of these things would be useful to me, because my duffle bag usually had whatever I need. And right now, I needed my MMA gear, and had it on. Why?

Because the sparring match was about to happen.

As I agreed to Cera's request, today was going to be me fighting a dinosaur. This is something I always thought would be cool, and now I had a chance.

Granted the Sharptooth from yesterday would've been a fight, except I went 'Berserk'. This was a full contact sparring match, much like those of Kyokushin Karate (which I took several techniques from as well). I was excited for this, because Cera looks incredibly tough.

We met out in a clearing, right next to a river, and beforehand, I changed into my MMA outfit (away from everyone else of course. I'm 100% certain NO ONE wants to see me naked), and just decided to look at myself before the match (you ever just get that urge to look at yourself in like a mirror?). Pulling out a mirror from my dufflebag, I looked at myself. My sandy blonde hair was medium length, and it was particularly messy today. I would have to comb it after the match.

Anyway, the news of our match had spread through the valley like wildfire. And it had attracted quite the crowd. No surprise Mr. Threehorn (who I found out was Cera's father) was giving her some last minute advice. Immediately afterword, Littlefoot came over and gave her a hug, and told her "Good luck."

Considering I didn't know anyone in the valley, I figured I wouldn't get any support, but I actually did. As it turned out, Ducky came over and told me "You'll do great. You will. You will." Petrie then told me "You brave taking on Cera. She really tough, but me think you got this."

Hearing this was very reassuring, considering that two who have known me for only one day think I could beat the brawn of their group. Very, very reassuring indeed.

Then Ali came over to me, and told me "I'll be watching from the sidelines. I really hope you do good.", along with giving me a hug. The feeling of her scales against my skin while the hug was happening felt weird, but something about hugging her felt very good.

Yeah... physical interaction with dinosaurs is definitely gonna take some getting used to.

But that would have to be for another time, because right now, the match was about to begin. Mr. Threehorn came inbetween us and said the only thing we needed to know.

"Fighters, begin!"

As soon as he was back in the crowd, Cera charged at me. I dodged to the side, and hit her with a low kick. She was evidently not prepared for that, as it caused her to stumble a bit. This time, Cera grabbed me, and attempted to throw me to the ground.

She did get me to the ground, but before she could stomp on me, I got to the side, and sweeped her to the ground. Once she was back up, she attempted to punch me, but I dodged, and kicked her in the stomach.

The rest of the match went in a similar manner. She kept throwing punches (that I would consider slow), and I kept dodging, and hitting her with a kick or a punch (not using my full power, as I refused to hurt her seriously). Her last punch was a right hook that actually wade contact, and hurt. But she left herself open, and I then kneed her in the stomach. With that, she called it quits.

That meant that the match was over, and many of the dinosaurs went back to just going around the valley. I myself went to a cave to change back to my normal clothes, which was a pair of sweatpants and a plain white T-shirt.

And once I left the cave, Cera came to me with a request. "Yuri," she asked me, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Can you teach me how to fight like you?"

I was a bit caught off-guard by this, but it was certainly a request I could agree to. Though I had to make sure she was commited, so I told her, "If you really want to learn, meet me at the beach tomorrow, at sunrise."

"Okay then," she said happily, "See you tomorrow."

 _'I guess this makes me like a Sensei.'_ I thought. Then my stomach growled, signaling me to catch some lunch.

* * *

 **This chapter is here, and it is here to give a bit of insight into what Yuri will do for the story. Also, who has an idea of the pairing in this fic? Anyone?**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The First Session

* * *

I was waiting at the beach, with my duffle bag, and a small fire pit set up, so that I could cook my breakfast.

Cera was right where I told her to meet me when the sun came up (Luckily, I don't need a lot of sleep), so I started training her. "Okay, Cera," I told her, "If you're going to learn to fight. It's going to take a lot of work."

"Work I'm willing to put in, Yuri." She said, "I want to be the best fighter I can."

 _'Something tells me that there's more of a reason than that,'_ I thought. I had noticed the look on her face after I bludgeoned that Sharptooth into retreating. While yes, it was a look of surprise at first, it quickly turned to her looking at her friends, and then back to me with a smile on her face.

Well, regardless of the reason, I planned to keep my promise, since she kept her end of the bargain.

The first half hour of training was just teaching her the basic punch and kick. I taught her a basic jab, cross, and low kick, and she picked up on the techniques quickly. The only reason it took a half hour was because I was showing her how to use these techniques in battle. As the sun was already up, I figured it was about time she went back. She needed to eat after all.

"Hey," she asked, after she noticed I sat back down on the beach, "Aren't you coming back to the valley?"

"Nah, I'll be back later. I gotta get some fish for breakfast."

"You aren't a leaf eater?" She asked, suddenly a bit concerned. So I explained, "No I can eat plants, but I've only found a few types that I can eat in this world." It was the truth. I found a few different fruits and vegetables near this beach, and luckily, they all weren't poisonous, and they were also edible. This made it easy for me to be able to have a balanced diet in this world.

"So you're like Ruby," she said, and I shrugged, but said "Yeah, kind of." Cera simply said, "Cool. Well, I'll leave you to it. Same time tomorrow?"

"Yeah sure," I said casually.

"Great, because I really do want to become the bes-"

"Is that really the reason you want to learn to fight," I asked, in a slightly smug way, "Or is it something else?" And I could tell by the fact that she was looking at the ground shyly, that it was clearly something else. "Well," she then said "I do have a different reason."

"Well," I told her calmly "I will continue training you if you tell me the real reason. If I am going to mentor you in the fighting arts, I want honesty between you and me."

"Okay, okay. You caught me. The real reason I want to learn to fight is... I want to be able to protect my friends as best I can."

Hearing this, was most certainly something that I didn't expect, but most certainly respected. "Go ahead and laugh," she said "It might seem a bit silly to you."

"No," I responded, still waiting to see if I could catch something, "In fact, I find it very noble."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I believe that protecting yourself and those you care about is the most honorable use of the fighting arts. Hearing that you want to protect your friends... It has increased my level of respect for you."

Hearing this be said made her smile a bit, as she said, "Well, they're my best friends, and I wouldn't want to see them hurt. Littlefoot especially." I could tell from the first moment that I had met the group that Littlefoot and Cera likely had a thing for eachother. But I figured now wasn't the best time to bring that up.

"Well, see you when you get back," Cera said, "I'll make up an excuse so that Ali doesn't worry about you." And while I could tell she was joking, it still irritated me a slight bit. I was going to retort, but I got a bite at the end of my makeshift fishing rod. Pulling in a large fish (looking similar to Cod), I started the fire, and gutted it. I only took off a decent sized chunk of the fish, and threw the rest into the fire. It may be a waste of good fish, but I don't want to gross any dinosaurs out with a gutted fish at this beach.

Grabbing a vegetable reminiscent of a potato, I cooked it in a big bowl of water (because I just happened to have a ceramic bowl in my duffle bag). The end result was basically a prehistoric version of 'Fish and Chips'.

Anyway, after breakfast, I was thinking about Cera's dig at me earlier. The fact of the matter was that I did like Ali as a friend. She was a pretty cool girl, but I've only known her a couple of days. I would like to get to know her better though...

Oh well. This world is still taking some getting used to.

* * *

 **Here this chapter is here, and it is showing Yuri's Moral Code a bit. It is actually similar to mine, but since Yuri Arshavin is based off of me, no surprise there.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Rematch

* * *

I got back to the valley about half an hour after Cera did. I had breakfast in my stomach, and had the energy to keep up with the group. I was gonna need every bit of energy I could get, because we were planning a hike today.

As I got there, I saw Cera and Ali having a bit of a talk, away from the rest of the group. "Admit it, Ali," Cera said, "You're starting to like Yuri."

"Well," Ali hesitated, "I mean, he's nice, and I'd like to be fr-"

"Oh no. Don't pull that with me. You know what I mean when I say 'Like'." Then Ali blushed quite deeply. I could tell this was my moment to walk in, though I had to make it look like I wasn't spying on them.

"No," Ali stuttered, "I don't like Yuri like that. He's just a nice guy."

"What about Yuri?"

As the two turned to see me, Ali's blush practically doubled, and Cera's face turned into a smirk. But Cera just simply told me "Nothing. We were just having a conversation." And we left it at that.

Anyway, gathering the rest of the crew was easy, and that meant we could head out on our hike. Though of course we had to stay near the valley, and run away if we see a Sharptooth. All in all, the hike itself was mostly uneventful. Though I figured it would be the best time to ask everyone some more questions.

"So, guys," I said, "How long have you been in the valley?"

Littlefoot was the one to respond. "Well, me, Cera, Ducky, Petrie and Spike have all been here since we were five. But Ali just moved here a few months ago. Turns out the migrating life isn't for her." I turned to face her, seeking a confirmation, which came in the form of a grin and a nod. So with that out of the way, Chomper decided to ask about me. "What was your home like?"

Honestly, since I didn't feel like remembering that (since, as the adults of the valley told me, there was no way back), I just said, "It was a good world. There was a forest near where I live, and several lakes, and not a lot of bad people." This answer satisfied them (likely because they could tell I didn't want to talk about it), and we just decided to continue the hike. Until of course, we ran into someone we didn't want to see.

The Sharptooth from a couple of days ago was standing in front of us. And he looks PISSED!

* * *

"You!" He yelled, eyes showing anger like nothing I've seen. "You're in my territory! Leave, or prepare to fight."

Taking up my fighting stance, I tell the rest of them to run, and I'll join them later. The one who didn't leave however, was Chomper. "You should go," I told him, to which he responded "And risk you getting bitten and die. Not gonna happen. Especially since that'd be a story to explain to Ali."

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes (why does everyone think that right off the bat?), the fight started, and from the start, it was obviously unfair. It was me against an opponent I had beaten severely a couple of days ago. Keeping it fair, I figured I should hold back (so that I don't kill him), hitting him with weaker kicks, and using my grappling to throw him to the ground. This was until of course one key point in the fight.

When Chomper got bit.

The Sharptooth took one last desperate shot, and this shot was with his teeth. Sinking his fangs into Chomper's side, the younger Sharptooth fell to the ground and clutched his side in pain. Seeing the blood of the boy, who did nothing wrong but decide to stay, had made me angry. This was very dishonorable, and it made that 'certain type of anger' enter my mind.

'Berserker's Mindset' Yuri is back, and ready to kick some ass.

I unleashed my anger, and attacked him with every bit of power I had. Except instead of using a branch, I was weaponless. I pinned him on a tree, and started kneeing him directly in his Solar Plexus. After three knee strikes, he was down. "Don't get into fights you can't win." I told him as he fell to the ground.

And before he blacked out, I said to him, "I avoided your vitals, so you'll live. But I don't ever want to see you around here again."

As it turned out, Chomper had been watching the whole thing, and caught on quick. "That was that 'Berserker's Mindset', right?"

I nodded, as I tried to help him up. "That was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen," he said, as I tried to keep him up, "Just curious though. Why didn't you kill him? He's attacked us twice, and both times you went 'Berserk'."

So I told him the truth. "Because 'Berserker's Mindset' or not, I'm no killer."

Chomper nodded understandingly, and when I asked if there's any way to help him, his response was getting up, and saying "Just follow me. I know where there are healing flowers from here." And as such, I did what he told me, and we went to find these 'healing flowers'.

This was without a doubt, the most interesting hike I've ever been on.

* * *

 **So here is the new chapter. I was busy today, and also tired, but I got the chapter up anyway, and I think that it is good. I am also making it a recurring joke about Yuri and Ali, because I think it's funny. But yeah, that's that, and it will happen every once in a while in the next few chapters.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Test for Acceptance

* * *

Once we found the healing flowers, Chomper (reluctantly) ate them, and his arm started to heal. I put a leaf on his side, to make sure it didn't get infected, and we started to head back.

It only took a few minutes to get back to the Valley, and along the way, I had a converstion with the young Sharptooth. Though one key thing he said was sticking with me:

 _"In this world, when we fight against Sharpteeth, it's for Survival. Not honor."_

This was a concept that I understood, but never really had to apply. I didn't live in a town where I had to fight someone to survive. Never got mugged in the street, but I had a bully back at school, which is what started me learning to defend myself. He used to beat me up to get my money, but the first time I was able to fight back, he backed off forever.

This is where I started to learn the fighting arts, but I remained a street fighter first and foremost. I never had to fight to survive, but I understood the concept of self-defense. Now that I'm in this world, I'm going to have to apply it.

Which is why I devised a plan right when we got to the Valley. But anyway, once we were back, the first thing to happen was Ali came over and hugged me, saying "You're safe! I knew you could do it." And while I did like getting a hug, I was thinking _'This explains that rumor.'_

Then the group noticed the leaf on Chomper, and everyone went to see if he was okay. After they asked what happen, I answered with "The Sharptooth made one last desperate shot. Though this time, he aimed at Chomper."

"And you defeated that Sharptooth again?" Cera said, "That's really awesome!" And the rest of the group agreed, because they all nodded their heads. They could figure out that I didn't KILL the Sharptooth, but I did do substantial damage to him. And this was enough to impress them.

The rest of the day was just the six of us hanging out, up until around sunset, where Mr. Threehorn came to me, and told me to come to the meeting place. There, all of the adults were there, waiting for me.

* * *

Littlefoot's Grandfather was the first to come up.

"So, Yuri," He said, his voice calm and and humble. "It has come to my attention that you and the children left the Valley earlier."

"Forgive me sir. We were just trying to go on a small hike."

"No. I understand," Grandpa Longneck continued, "But we called you down here to talk about something the kids said... Is it true you fought that Sharptooth again?"

"Yes I did," I responded truthfully, "I told the others to head back, and I'll meet 'em when it's done." This brought small murmurs from the adults around me. Then Mr. Threehorn came out and asked, "If I may have a question, why would you risk your own life for them, anyway? Most Humans who have came to this world died defending themselves from Sharpteeth?"

"That's kind of like asking why you guys band together against Sharpteeth whenever they find their way into the Valley. I'm doing it for the good of them."

This evidently shocked the crowd, who were looking at me confused, but at the same time, amazed. It was Grandpa Longneck who was the first to talk, saying "That is very noble of you. You've only been staying in the valley for a few days, but you have shown to be a good person."

"I am a guy with a unique moral code. And one of the things in that code is 'Never risk your friends when you can do it yourself.'"

"And you consider them your friends?" was Mr. Threehorn's question (surprisingly, it wasn't said meanly. It was just a curious question), to which I nodded lightly. "Well, regardless of the reason," Grandma Longneck cut back in, "We are grateful for what you did. It was very noble of you to risk yourself for them, and we wish to thank you in a way."

"We have been talking it over for a while now," Grandpa Longneck continued, "And we wanted to know if you wanted to become a permanent member of the valley." Hearing this was incredible. From what I had been told by the Valley's Elder, Mr. Thicknose, no human had ever been a permanent member of the Valley, mainly because they never wanted to, or never had the morals to where the Valley wanted them to stay. This would be an epic chance, but I had to do my plan first.

"I would love to," I told them, "But I cannot yet."

"Why," asked Mr. Threehorn, and so I started my plan. I told a lie, saying "Where I'm from, you have to go through a trial before you can join a new clan. It's tradition." The adults all looked at each other, and then back to me. Grandpa said, "Well... If it is your tradition, then we will respect it. What is the trial?"

"I must spend 7 days in the forests, living off the land. I can have contact with members of the clan while the Trial is happening, but I cannot come back to the clan's home, in this case the Valley, until the 7 days are over. Once the 7 days are over, I can join the clan."

Apparently, they were convinced by this lie, as they agreed to it, saying the trial will start tomorrow. After the meeting, Mr. Threehorn came to me, and said "Your clan has some interesting traditions there, Yuri. Good luck in advance."

"Well, thanks," I said, "It's good to hear you respect my traditions." (Man it is a good thing I'm a good actor) "But anyway," he continued, "I also want to thank you for... well, you know..."

"Putting my life on the line so that the rest of the group, your daughter included, could get away? No problem, Mr. Threehorn."

"Please. My real name is Topps, and you can call me that," he said, a grin on his face, "Since you're likely to be a member of the Great Valley, you don't have to be so formal anymore."

"You really have confidence in me, Topps?"

"Yes I do," Topps answered, "I've only seen you fight twice, but your talent as a fighter is amazing. I have faith that if any human I've seen has a good chance of surviving 7 days in the Mysterious Beyond, It's you." As soon as Topps finished that sentence, he held out his hand, which I shook, and then we went our own ways.

So to know that Topps, who I would have expected to be the MOST skeptical of my abilities, had some confidence in my ability to win this trial was a good sign. Grabbing my duffle bag, I made sure I had everything I needed. Because this trip, while it was a personal trial (but a made up one), it was mainly a training trip.

A trip to master not only my 'Berserker's Mindset', but my instincts in general.

* * *

 **Okay, now this Chapter, I am posting like at 4AM, and I'm really tired, and I made quite a few spelling mistakes (thank goodness for spell-checker), but I got it. And yes, I do read the reviews, and I really didn't have an idea for this chapter, but then 'Hunter' asked that question about Honor vs Survival and what not, and that gave me an idea.**

 **So thank you very much Hunter. You really helped me with that comment.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Newfound Determination

* * *

There was something not right. I woke up (sleeping under the tree like I usually do), and the Longneck family wasn't there. Fact of the matter is I don't see anyone around. Getting up and planning to walk to the beach (as usual), I saw another thing that was out of the ordinary.

A battle was happening over in the distance.

Heading over to where it was happening, I grabbed another branch from a tree. If a battle was going on, I would need a weapon. As I approached, the figures became more clear, and I could tell who was in the battle. It was Grandma and Grandpa Longneck, and they are allied with Topps. They were facing several Fast Biters, all of whom were supposedly taking orders from someone.

The battle was an interesting one to see. Topps was the main figure of the conflict, holding back the Fast Biters effortlessly, with Grandma and Grandpa Longneck doing their share of the fighting. For a moment, I thought I wasn't needed. And then more Fast Biters showed up, so I decided to join in.

Smacking one of them upside the head with the branch, I was officially apart of the battle. I was only doing as much as I could without the Berserker's Mindset (I didn't feel like bringing that out). And that was still quite a bit. As the fight dragged on, less of the Fast Biters got back up, but one more figure appeared, his face covered by a hood (but I still could tell he was a Sharptooth).

As the last three Fast Biters were standing, the hooded figure gave a command, "Go for the one he cares for." And the Fast Biters went past the adults, and past me. Looking at where they were heading, it horrified me.

The gang was here!

The group tried their hardest, but to no avail. The Biters knocked them out cold, and started eating at them. This got me incredibly angry, but for some reason, I couldn't move. Then it hit me...

I couldn't go 'Berserk'!

I was paralyzed on the spot, with nothing I could do, as I watched them eat away at them. The only survivor was Ali, and she was crying. "What's wrong, Yuri," I heard the hooded figure say. "Can't access that same power you used against me." With that, he dropped his hood, and revealed himself to be the Sharptooth I beat. And I actually felt regret for not killing him.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance," he said, able to tell what I was thinking, "But you had your stupid Moral Code."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't play dumb, Yuri. You said it yourself: 'Berserker's Mindset or not. You're no killer'. And against a Sharptooth, that was the dumbest mistake you could make." After he was done laughing at me, he looked over to Ali, and then back to me, with a malevolent grin.

"No..."

"She's the one you protected. The one you seem to care about the most..."

"No!"

"I will have fun destroying her in front of you."

"NO!"

* * *

I bolted upright, drenched in cold sweat. Seeing the sleeping form of the Longnecks set me a bit at ease. _'Thank God,'_ I thought to myself _'It was just a dream.'_ Noticing that the Moon was going down, this meant that Dawn was nearing. I would have one more training session with Cera before I headed out.

As I headed on my way to the beach, I figured it'd be good for me to get a good breakfast. And maybe the sound of the waves will help me to relax. Getting down there, the first thing I noticed was a familiar yellow Threehorn practicing her punches and low kick.

"Hey Cera," I said once I was within hearing distance. "Hey Yuri," she said back, "Just practicing." It was evident to me that she was taking it very seriously. Once I was near her, she noticed the state I was in, and asked what was wrong.

"Bad Sleep Story," was my response (I have gotten very used to their vernacular), and she asked "What about?"

"... I'd rather not talk about it," I told her, and she backed off. Probably because she could tell that I REALLY didn't want to talk about it. So we just decided to train more, as this would be the last time for a week that we did.

Today's lesson was on the Back Kick. The technique was simple for her to learn, but it took her quite a while to get it down. But when she did (and I showed her the basic uses for it), she proved to be good at it.

"Nice work," I told her, "Keep up your training while I'm gone."

"I heard about your little trial, so I will," she said, then saying, "By the way, Ali said she wanted to see you by the Thundering Falls in a while."

* * *

And so, a little while later (after breakfast, which luckily only took a few minutes to catch and cook), I headed out to the Thundering Falls. Once there, I saw the same Purplish Longneck that I was expecting. Turning to see me, I walked over and said hi.

"Hey," she said, holding something with her left arm. "I heard you're leaving today."

"You heard right," I told her. Then she showed me the thing, revealing it to be a garb. It included a pair of trousers remniscent of the outfits worn by the guys in the valley, made of the same burgundy material, and with a vine belt, and vines for bracers.

"I made you this," Ali told me, "It's a Valley Garb." Then showing me over to the waterfall, she told me, "There's a cave behind the falls if you wanna try it on." And of course, I figured I would. Only a few minutes later, I came out wearing it, and it fit perfectly.

"I heard they wanted to accept you into the Valley," she explained, "So I was up most of last night making this for you. Forgive me if it's not very nice. My skill in weaving isn't that good..."

Tying the vine around my waist, I told her without hesitation "It's perfect." This put a smile on her face, and while I kept my cool on the ouside, it drove me wild on the inside. There was something about seeing her smile that just... got to me. "I'll wear it out while I'm out there."

"Do you really have to do this trial," she asked, sounding concerned for my safety. "I'm sorry," I told her, "But it's just a thing I must do." Understanding, she gave me a hug, and we parted ways. As I passed by the Longneck sleeping area, I grabbed my duffle bag back from under the tree, and started heading out. Along the way, I passed many of the adults, who wished me luck on my trial.

As soon as I was out of the valley, and a good distance away, I sighed, and set up a small base (at the base of a mountain near here). The next week would certainly be a challenge, but I had to do it.

And after the dream I had, I had a new determination. I am going to do everything in my power to make sure that dream doesn't come to fruition.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: New Acquaintances and a New Plan

* * *

Five days have passed since I started the trial, and it's been a long and tedious five days. I have had to deal with Sharpteeth, finding food, and the constant risk of death. But that time had been worth it, as it started grooming me into a warrior. I have been forced to face Sharpteeth whenever they found me, but I still haven't been able to make my 'Berserker's Mindset' my main fighting mindset.

The first thing I did while out here was set up a small base. Luckily, I just happened to find a small cave, have a sleeping bag (exactly why I say my duffle bag has everything I need always), and never had to deal with like, mosquitoes or whatever (if there was one advantage to being stuck in this world, its that there was next to no bugs).

My first instinct was to make a weapon. I found a branch that was actually very straight, and started using it as a staff. This staff has served me well over the past five days, as well as the 'Valley Garb' (the elders of the valley said that 'Valley Garbs' are made of a material that doesn't get dirty, and this proved to be true so far)...

The 'Valley Garb'. This was what I wore the whole time I was out here. And in only two days, it would be my permanent outfit. The trial I made up proved tough, but doable. However, I have yet to complete my main goal.

As I continued to wait in the cave, I heard many footsteps, so my instinct was to see what was there (as well as to grab my staff, just in case). Looking outside, the first thing I saw, was what looked like a herd of Longnecks in the distance. Something made me curious to who they are (mainly a memory of Littlefoot talking about his family).

Walking out of the cave, the herd was approaching from my left. The first ones that got my attention were two teenagers. One was green, one was brown, and both were running like there's no tomorrow.

Once I was fully out of the cave, one of the two ran right into me, sending us both falling to the ground. Once up, I saw which of the two it was. The Brown Longneck got up, and said, "Who the heck are you?!"

"Name's Yuri," I told him, to which he responded "Are you the one who Ali told us about?"

"How do you know Ali's been talking about me? Wait... Ali's been talking about me"

"Nonstop," the green one said, joining in "When we get messages through the crystal waters, you're usually the first topic on her mind."

"... Crystal waters?"

The green one sighed, "Well Rhet, looks like we've got a lot to explain to this guy."

The explanation was quick and simple. First they introduced themselves (the Green one is named Shorty and the Brown one is named Rhett), and then they explained what they were doing.

Apparently, Shorty and his adoptive dad Bron (Littlefoot's Dad, from the info Littlefoot had given me) were heading out to see Littlefoot, and along the way, they had begun traveling with Ali's herd (of which Rhet is from). They were also receiving messages from Ali through the Crystal Waters.

This was apparently a river, running a very long way through the Mysterious Beyond all the way to the Great Valley, with a crystal at the Lake it's connected to, and allows people to talk to each other (somehow magically sending the sound to whoever the message is for), if they are connected in some way.

So, by the end of it, my mind was blown.

* * *

So, after all was said and done, I had made two new acquaintances, and learned about the Crystal Waters. They showed me the way to the river that is the Crystal Waters, and then went on their way.

Once I was at the Crystal Waters, I figured I should try. "Ali..." I whispered, "Are you there?"

...

For the first few moments, there was nothing. But as I got up to walk away, I heard one of the greatest sounds I've heard in days:

"Yuri... I'm here."

The moment I heard this, I immediately got back on my knees, and started talking into the water. "Ali! You're a sound for sore ears."

"So you found your way to the Crystal Waters?"

"With the help of Shorty and Rhet. They also said you've been talking to me."

And while I couldn't see it, I was certain she was blushing. Especially by the fact of how she said "Yeah". After that akwardness had passed, the two of us just... talked. There was no rhyme or reason to our conversation. We just were talking. Nothing really to it.

Eventually, she said "Yuri... Are you sure the trial has to be seven days?"

"Yes," I told her, "I must finish it. I know it's not fun, but it's just that thing I must do."

"I understand. It's just that... I miss you."

 _'She misses me?'_ That was a good sign. See, ever since the dream, I have been thinking about her a lot more. Eventually I found myself... how do I put this... wanting to ask her out. I mean, it's weird to want to date a dino, but right now, instinct was overpowering logic, so I asked:

"Hey Ali. When I get back, do you maybe wanna... Go out?"

...

"Do you mean... like a date?"

"Yeah," was my response, "So how about it?"

"Yes! I'd love to!"

And with that, I the two of us said goodbye, and I felt like nothing could ruin my good mood. No matter how weird it may seem, I liked Ali. At first I was questioning why, but than I realized other than being reptilian, there was pretty much no difference between her and a normal human.

And she brought out my more... wild side.

* * *

 **So, this chapter is finally here. I've just been very preoccupied (as I am going back to school tomorrow), and this was what I got to do. And yes, Yuri and Ali are now the start of a thing. Don't ask why I did this OCxAnthro pairing, but I did, and I is.**

 **And on the Crystal Waters, I wanted to have a way for characters to talk to each other without having to be in person. And on the Valley Garb being not dirty, I just didn't want Yuri to have to waste time on figuring out how to wash it. Call it lazy writing, because it probably is.**

 **My promise is that I will get the next chapter up by Thursday. I'm still trying to figure out my new uploading schedule.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Horrible News and a New Battle

* * *

The spirit waters were useful to find out about, and this made me very happy. That night, I was practically unable to sleep, as I had so much I had to be excited for. First off, I had a date with Ali planned, and second off, my instinct were growing stronger. The only problem was, that I couldn't find that 'tick' that got me to master it.

No matter how many Sharpteeth I was forced to defend myself from (about 4 so far), it didn't make any difference in my main battle mindset. I was disappointed by that, but at least I had one thing to look forward to.

The next day, the first thing I planned to do was talk to her in the spirit waters, but the first thing I saw when I came out of the cave stopped me.

There was a fight going on in the distance, from the look of it, there were many dinosaurs involved. Taking my staff, and following my instinct, I went over, and wanted to see the fight (and join if I must).

As I approached, the dinos became more clear, and it was the last group I wanted to see fighting. Topps, for one, and Littlefoot's grandparents for another. The fight wasn't anything too impressive, but it was certainly a sight. There was something about seeing it that sent a chill down my spine. And I'm certain I knew why.

The fighting was similar to the dream, except there was another new fighter here. He was a brown Longneck, standing around the same height as Grandpa Longneck (maybe an inch or two shorter), and was dressed in a garb that looked quite different, so I had to assume he was one of the Farwalkers...

Then I noticed two more. Shorty and Rhett were also in the fight, just fighting some of the smaller opponents. At that moment, I wanted to go in, but when I tried to, one of the Fast Biters noticed me. Wasting no time to charge at me, I wasted no time with my double leg takedown.

It was obvious that it hurt his back, mainly because I threw him down on a rock. Whereas, a week ago, I would have just thrown him back onto the ground. Proof of how my survival instincts have gotten better.

With that takedown, I was in the fight. The fight wasn't that hard in any way, and once we were done, I thought it was over, and I could finish the challenge. But the next thing to come out of Shorty's mouth may have made that impossible:

"Now tell us where Ali is!"

The main Fast Biter chuckled, and said "You fools. She's long gone. Our leader, Daggir, has her, and he's hiding on the other side of that mountain. You won't make it in time."

* * *

It didn't take but an instant for me to get back up, because the mountain he was talking about, just happened to be the same mountain I had spent the last week at. I knew of all the secret paths in the cave, because I had went exploring them several times. Heading into the cave, the first thing I did was head down the westernmost path.

It only took about three minutes for me to make it to the end of the path, and the first thing I saw was Ali. She was tied up with some vines over in the corner, and there looked to be nothing standing in my way.

Getting to the corner, Ali noticed me. "Yuri," she said, sounding relieved to see me, but then her tone changed. "Watch out!" Looking back, the first thing I see is a claw slashing directly at my right eye.

"Ah!" I screamed, clutching my eye, and feeling the blood come down it. Looking up, I saw the last dino I wanted to see. The Sharptooth, I fought twice.

"Hello, again."

His voice held a malevolence that scared me more than Hell itself. "So you're Daggir," I said through my heavy breathing. All he did was smile. The moment he did, a flashback of my dream came up. The same evil grin from the dream, was the grin he was wearing right now.

"Your one mistake was letting me live."

"Yuri," Ali asked, "What's he talking about?" It shamed me to think she was in this situation because I couldn't finish the job.

"... It's true. I thought I did enough damage, so I spared him, and told him to leave."

"But why would you do that?"

I was about to answer her, but then Daggir cut me off, "Because he was a coward! He said he is no killer, and after that, I knew he was weak." While I didn't want to believe it, something about his words felt true. I was foolish to think that a Sharptooth would listen to reason...

"He's not weak," I heard a voice say from behind me. It was Cera, and she was with Littlefoot. "Yuri's a warrior! You're just a monster!"

"Indeed, I am. But this doesn't change that Yuri's a weakling, and his 'Berserker's Mindset' is just a way to compensate."

"You're wrong!" I heard Cera say before she charged him. Using the moves I taught her, she did okay against him, and allowed for ample time to untie Ali. However, Daggir proved to be far smarter than I thought, as shown by the fact that he pushed Cera away, and then kicked me into a wall.

Once in the wall, my eye stopped stinging, and I could see from it a little (still very blurry though). Though the first thing I saw was Ali standing in front of me, in the way of Daggir.

"Stand aside little girl!"

"No! I won't let you hurt Yuri!"

The next thing to happen was horrible. Daggir came up and threw Ali to the side. When she got back up and tried to attack him, her punishment was a slash to the stomach, it wasn't deep, but it clearly hurt her. And it hurt me as well.

"She's the one you protected..."

As he said this, his claw was pointed directly at my neck, and I felt genuine fear. And at the same time, another feeling was rising up from inside of me. It was similar to the feeling of the Berserker's Mindset, but at the same time, completely different.

"The one you seem to care about the most..."

As he said that, a flashback of my dream returned to me, and it made the feeling rise up even more. Gritting my teeth unconsciously, I felt my muscles tense, and a powerful feeling of rage enter me. And at the same time, a horrible thought came to mind: Ali. Dead on the ground, all because I couldn't go Berserk in time...

At that moment, he slashed me across the chest, and as I fell, he said, "I will have fun destroying her in front of you." This made the feeling rise up to that critical point. I didn't even realize what was going on, until now.

"Enjoy seeing her for the last time!"

Not even hesitating for a second on getting back up, the first thing I did was deliver a powerful punch straight to the jaw. This sent Daggir staggering, and allowed me to send Ali and the rest of them out.

"No, Yuri!" Ali protested, "I'm not leaving. What if you get hurt?"

Running soley on my instincts, I kissed the concerned girl on her lips, to which she returned only a second later. As soon as it was broken, I told her "I swear I'll come back alive. This guy's about to see what a real monster can do." With that promise made, Ali did what I said, and went with the others.

Looking back at the Sharptooth, the next thing out of my mouth was practically a snarl. "What is this," he responded, sounding quite surprised at me, "This can't be the 'Berserker's Mindset' you spoke of! You seem to have... control."

Exactly! This was the push that I needed! This wasn't the 'Berserker's Mindset'! This was... I'm not even sure what this was. So far, it seemed to be a mix of raw instinct and unbridled rage.

But regardless, this is what will be his downfall. And if he gets back up, I knock him right back down!

* * *

 **So here's this chapter. And I'm really sorry. I know I promised it'd be up on Thursday, but I have had a long and stressful first week of school (only one week, and I already don't want to go back!). But I am still trying to work on my upload schedule, and I am not going to make any more promises, except for this one: I will have Chapter 11 of 'Troy' up by Friday. But after that, no promises on exact days, because if I have scheduling issues, that's an empty promise.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Yuri Arshavin, Animalistic Warrior

* * *

 **(Daggir's POV)**

In all my nightmares, my interpretation of a monster was always a horrible creature with a hideous appearance and an unrivaled potential for destruction. Never in all my 17 years had I thought a mere human could be a monster.

The last time I had fought this boy, he looked like the normal frail creature that I had known humans to be. It was clear that was not the same boy that I had fought then. He may look the same, save the new scar over his right eye and on his chest, but he seemed completely different.

For one thing, his muscles seemed slightly more defined than the last time, and they just added to his intimidation factor. I towered over him, and yet I felt like I should be standing in his shadow. On another note, the fact of the blood on him was especially fightening, to the point where he looked like a murderer.

And I had a good feeling that in a few minutes, he would be.

There were many factors that made me fearful of fighting him a third time over, but the most important was his eyes. There was something about them that scared me more than any other opponent I could possibly face.

Before, they were greenish, then when he used that power, they were almost red. But now, they looked completely different. His eyes were now golden like the Bright Circle, and burning with rage. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and his were showing the soul of an animal.

And at the same time, they showed the soul of a warrior...

* * *

Before I had even finished this train of thought entirely, he was on the move. And before I got the chance to defend, I recieved three punches to the ribs. They were far more painful than that punch to the jaw, and it knocked the wind out of me.

Normally, I didn't feel the pain of an attack, but he had my number since the beginning... He had already beaten me twice. And I was still weak after the last one. Those knee strikes nearly broke my damn ribs, and they haven't recovered much.

Even so, I have to fight! I attempted to rush him once more, and the moment I threw my punch, he grabbed my arm, and threw me over his shoulder.

While I was on the ground, he kicked me straight in the chest. I was sure I was coughing up blood after that.

I got up, and attempted to rush him again, only to be taken down. He grabbed me by both of my legs and slammed me into the ground, my back hitting a rock.

He was certainly fighting much more furiously than before. And I could've sworn he snarled at me while doing it. "What is this?" I asked threw my heavy breathing. And his response made me even more afraid than I've ever been in my life.

"This is what'll be your downfall!"

The moment I got back up, I was hit with an onslaught. He was hitting me with his fists, his legs, his knees, and his elbows, all of which I could do nothing to counter.

I believed myself to have only one option. I grabbed my hidden stone dagger, and waited for him to strike me. He threw a strong punch, which I narrowly avoided, and slashed him across the stomach.

Though it barely did any damage to him, leaving another small cut that left him in only slight pain. He grabbed my arm, took the dagger, and stabbed me straight in the left shoulder. The pain was unbearable, and my left arm went limp.

Letting me go, the first thing that happened was I staggered. There was another opening to this cave, and I seemed to be getting dangerously close to it. I had to ask out of fear:

"Are you going to kill me."

"No," he said, "But if you die after the fight, then so be it." This is very uncharacteristic of this boy, as far as i've seen. But then he continued: "You're right that I'm no murderer. But now I've the instincts of an Animalisitic Warrior!"

An 'Animalistic Warrior'? What does he mean by that?

"So know this, Daggir," Yuri said, "I will not kill you myself, but I will destroy you if I must. And if you get back up 1,000 times, I'll knock you down 1,001!" And with that, he kicked me to the ground, and started to leave.

* * *

 **(Yuri's POV)**

The blood loss was starting to get to me. I'm going to have to get to a waterfall and wash off my wounds. My vision had returned entirely in my right eye, and I was lucky enough to find that no blood got into it.

Speaking of blood, I honestly don't want to fight for a while now. At least until my injuries heal. Though I was wondering if the rest of the group were okay, and hopefully I'll get the chance...

Or so I thought! Only a second later, Dagger came up and attempted a chokehold on me. I was weak at the moment, and this wasn't helping. "I will not go down," Daggir said, as I felt myself running out of air, "But I'll be sure you do! And then I'm going to take down the little longneck girl first!"

And once again, instinct took over once more, and I was re-invigorated. Running backwards, I slammed the sharptooth into a wall, and started to elbow him in the ribs. Once he had let go, it was the chance I was searching for. I would have to destroy him, or die myself.

Now I understand 'Survival of the Fittest'.

Rejuvenated by this, I continued my onslaught, automatically thinking 'Destroy him'. Punches, Kicks, Knees, Elbows, you name it, I hit him with it. Eventually, he was staggered over by the opening, and this was my chance. Getting a running start, I jumped up, and dropkicked the Sharptooth, sending him falling down the side of the mountain.

It was done, and that meant I could leave.

As the rage from the battle died down, I still felt that rush of energy that was going on all throughout the fight. Not only that, but my senses felt stronger. Almost as if I felt more in tune with the world.

Such a feeling was amazing, and it meant that I had accomplished my goals. It was amazing, and meant I could head back out to the Valley. Which is what I planned on doing. Looking out to the exit, I found that there was a little bit of yellow right behind it. "Cera, were you there the whole time?"

"...Yeah," she said, coming out from behind the rock, "But can you blame me? That was amazing!"

I wanted to be mad at her, but I couldn't. Mainly cause I happened to agree with her.

* * *

 **Hm? Yes? Tense? I hope it made for an epic fight scene imagined in all y'all's heads, and I hope this was a good way of making Yuri get his instincts. And yes, Daggir, the Sharptooth Yuri refused to kill before, is dead. But he died from the fall, so it wasn't entirely by Yuri's hands.**

 **Next chapter up next weekend.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Big Reveal

 **Hey, guys. I got a lot of new ideas from thinking, and I am going to try to make the next arc of this story interesting, as the 'Berserker's Mindset' has now evolved into Yuri's basic instincts.**

 **Also, 'Hunter', what the hell!?**

 **Daggir was going to kill Yuri's kinda-sorta girlfriend just for sport, and you're talking about Yuri being humane!? You were the one who said 'a fight in the wild is for Survival', and killing Daggir or not, you're saying Yuri should've been humane to that evil jerkface!? UGHH! Hunter... you tire me!**

 **I'm sorry for complaining to you, but you sometimes don't make sense to me... but regardless, Daggir is dead, and it is behind us.**

 **And yes, I have considered Krav Maga, but I kind of wanted to go for Hapkido or Aikido.**

* * *

Once we had left the cave, I was greeted by the group. Topps was the first to say anything, and what he said was "Dang, that must've been one bloody fight."

"Like you wouldn't believe," Cera interrupted, "That Daggir didn't know what was coming to him."

Everyone looked at him in awe, and Topps was the one to ask the question, "Did you kill him?"

"He fell off the side of the mountain and died... so yeah... But only after he was about to kill me."

The group had an understanding of the concept. As animals, they did understand 'self-defense'. _'Heh heh... It's funny 'cause I can't really even call them animals.'_

"So," Grandpa Longneck asked, "does that mean you'll be returning to the Valley tomorrow?" and now that I did what I wanted, I said "Actually, I'll be returning today."

Everyone was a slight bit shocked, and Grandma Longneck asked, "But what about your traditions?" So, I had to tell the truth.

"The truth is... this trial wasn't any tradition or anything. It was just a way to master the 'Berserker's Mindset'."

Everyone looked at me in shock. Topps spoke up. "But why? Based on what I saw, that Berserker's Mindset looked pretty mastered."

"Well, yeah... but that was only when certain requirements were met. In this world, I'd need a lot more than that."

"Yuri," Cera had to ask, "Why would you need to master your instincts."

"I figured if I'm gonna be stuck here for a while, I might as we-"

"Oh, please," she scoffed, "Come on, Yuri. Tell me the real reason. You need to be honest with us."

Then I remember I told Cera I wanted honesty between us when training. _'Drat. My own words used against me.'_ With that, I sighed, and said "Alright. The truth is... I was scared..."

"Of what?" Littlefoot asked asked innocently, "What had you afraid?"

Everyone was patiently waiting, and the thought of it brought back some particularly bad nightmare memories. Tears were stinging at my eyes, as I remembered the horrible dreams. So I just looked down, and said in a low voice "I was afraid of... losing you guys."

They stared at me, curious as to what I meant. So when Ali asked "Us? We're why you came out here?" I had to tell them:

"I had a nightmare the day I left. You guys all died and... I couldn't go 'Berserk' in time. I was stuck there watching you guys be killed in front of my eyes... and I felt a pain beyond anything I'd felt before. I vowed I would never let that happen in the real world! That's why I came out here to begin with."

Everyone who knew me was amazed to hear that. They looked at me in awe, as if hearing this come out of my mouth was a shocker to them. Ali came out, and said "You survived six days in the Mysterious Beyond to train yourself... on our behalf?"

"Yeah. It may sound insane, but after only a week of knowing you, I feel closer to you than my old friends. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you guys..." I was waiting for them to laugh, or gasp, or something. It felt like I was just standing there, looking at the ground for an eternity. After a little bit of time had passed, Ali came up, and told me, "Yuri... look at me..."

And when I looked up to see her face, she grabbed me, and pulled me into a kiss. It was a short one, but it was certainly as good as the last one, if not better. As soon as it was over, the rest of the younger dinosaurs came over and practically dogpiled me. Getting on my knees, I stayed in the middle of a giant group hug. They didn't seem to mind that I was covered in blood, or that I was really dirty and sweaty.

They were just happy that we were together.

* * *

After the group hug had broken, Grandpa Longneck asked, "So now that you've achieved your goals, what are you going to do?"

"Well first... I'm gonna go down to the waterfall. Wash the poison from off my skin." The gang looked at themselves, and realized they all had some blood on them. "You guys can join me if you want." With a small chuckle in unison, the group laughed, and got up. With that, we started our little trek to the falls.

I was still a little weak from the fight, and Cera noticed this. "I can't let our little champion walk after what he's been through," she said, picking me up, and putting me on her back. "You deserve a rest after that display." We all nodded at this, as I nodded off.

In my sleep, I had a small dream. It was at midnight. Ali had a knife near her throat, held by a vicious Fast Biter. She looked to be a goner, but then a warrior stepped in, his face shrouded by shadows, and his body covered in scars. He defeated the vicious creature with a single strike, and Ali was safe.

As the warrior stepped into the light of the moon, I knew exactly who it was: Me...

SPLASH!

My eyes bolted open, as I found myself in the water. Cera was looking up at me with a bit of a smirk, and I realized we were at the springs. "Enjoy the water," she said, "After what you've been through, you've earned it." Looking over to the side, I saw the rest of them.

They were having fun in the water, as the river washed away the blood and dirt. I felt like it was cleansing me of my rage, as it cleansed my body of the blood. It was a good feeling...

"Hey Yuri," Littlefoot called out, breaking me from my trance, "We're gonna play a game. You wanna join?" A request that I accepted in an instant.

We began playing a game similar to my world's game 'Marco Polo'. It was a simple little game, that got my mind off of today. As we played, I noted the innocence in the groups eyes. Their ability to enjoy themselves as soon as they don't have to be serious. A skill I should most certainly learn from them.

As the game continued, I thought to myself _'Whatever happens, we'll be just fine.'_

* * *

 **So here's a nice little chapter. And you know what? This will be the end of this little story. I kinda have nothing left to write about for this story, but I had fun writing it. I hope you guys enjoyed 'The Search for Paradise'. There might be a sequel...**


End file.
